Proposed Attributes for MPT Characterization
(Please Rank attributes within each attribute category)
Impact Attributes
(Describing the results of using the MPT)
Rank
Risk/Issues
Impacted
Impact on
Quality
Impact on Cost
Impact on
Schedule
Rank
Describe the risks mitigated or issues addressed by the SE-MPT

Impact type (choose one: increased quality, decreased quality, no impact on
quality)
 Magnitude of impact (describe whatever metrics are available)
Impact type and magnitude on cost
Impact type and magnitude on schedule
MPT Attributes
(Describing qualities of the MPT itself)
Transferability
Maturity
Latency
Ease of
Deployment
Cost to Use
Transparency
How easy the SE MPT is to adapt or extend to apply to different domains, levels of
assessment, changing priorities, or special circumstances
Measure: 1-5 where
1=Low: Only applicable to a single context
5=High: Can be used across multiple application domains without
modifications
Degree of SE-MPT evolution and availability of support.
1 = MPT is under development and testing
2 = MPT use is growing
3 = MPT is standard across many platforms
4 = MPT is starting to be retired, losing market share
5 = MPT is obsolete or nearly so
How long the SE MPT takes to impact cost, quality, or schedule. Measure:
1 = within the same life-cycle phase,
3 = before the end of the program,
5 = only on future increments or programs.
Assess the investment cost required (e.g., special equipment, training) to implement
the SE MPT.
Measure: 1-5 where
1=Low: No specialized training, equipment, etc.
5=High: Requires extensive changes to current working conditions
Additional ongoing cost to execute the SE-MPT. Measure: 1-5 where
1 = No ongoing costs for licensing, additional staff time, equipment,
software, etc.
5 = Substantial ongoing costs
Ability to understand the inputs, processes, and outputs of the MPT.
1 = White box (it is easy to understand how the MPT transforms inputs /
achieves results, with no specialized knowledge required)
3 = Grey box
5 = Black box (no understanding of how the MPT achieves its results)
Rank
Context Attributes (Describing the environments
where the MPT has been used)
Level(s) where
Applied
Role
Application
Domain
Criticality
Environment
Organizational level at which SE MPT can be applied (individual, team, project,
program, organization)
The role of the users of the SE MPT (acquisition, development, oversight)
The types of systems the SE MPT has been applied to (business, C2ISR, fixed
wing, land, missiles, munitions, rotary wing, ships, space, unmanned systems)
Does the SE apply where there are specific safety, security, or mission-criticality
requirements
The environment the SE MPT has been used in (weapons system, SoS, networkcentric services)
Other things we are looking at:

We will have an orthogonal attribute, trustability, that ranks the information we are able to collect
rather than the MPT itself.

Barriers and enablers: We will ask our subjects for what factors of their environment prevent or
facilitate getting good results from the MPT.
Are there any key attributes missing?